Ditching-machine



(No Model.)

J. L. SENTENEY.

DITGHING MACHINE.

Patented J3 NITED STATES JAMES L. SENTENEY, OF

DITCHING- COOKS MILLS, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,903, dated January26, 1886.

Application filel March 24, 1885.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. SENTENEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cooks Mills, in the county of Ooles and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditching-Machines;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this. specification.

This invention is an improvement in ditchjug-machines, and has for itsobject to provide simple and convenient means by which the grade of theditch may be kept even, and also convenient means for forming a groovein the bottom of the ditch, in which to rest the drainpipes, and alsoimprovements in the knives or cutters for forming the ditch.

To these ends the invention consists in certain novel constructions,combinations, and arrangements of parts, which will be hereinafter morefully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my machine. Fig. 2 is a topplan view of the machine, the wheels being removed. Fig. 3 is a bottomplan view of the plow. Fig. 4 is a detached section on line or m,Fig. 1. Fig. 5 shows the sight-rod, and Fig. 6 is a detail view of oneof the sightedges.

The main frame of the machine comprises beams A A, separated to receivethe guidechute. At the front end of these frames I provide bearings afor the axle B, which is journaled therein, and has the cranks B on itsends. On the wrists b of these cranks are the wheels 0 0. As the axle isturned the wheel 0 will be adjusted vertically. By adjusting thesewheels up or down, the front end of the framing will be set higher orlower and the depth of the plow will be regulated. These wheels may beadjusted vertically in various ways, and I do not desire that the broadfeatures of my invention shall be limited to the peculiar means shown,but I prefer the con struction as shown, and which I will now describe.

On the axle B, I secure or form a wormwhecl, E, which is meshed by aworm, F, se-

Scrial No. 159,994. (No model.)

cured or formed on a shaft, F, which is suitablyjournaled and extendsrearward. and has its rear end provided with a suitable crank, F, inconvenient reach of the operator, who stands on a plat-form, A mountedon the rear end of the framing. By turning the shaft F the axle may beturned and the wheels set to and held at any suitable height desired;also, by this shaftF the axle may beturned slightly from time to timetoinsure the even angle of the ditch. The plow is held below the frame,and comprises the bottom or sole piece, G, and the front knives orcutters, G, to which is secured the chute H, which is formed of sideboards, H, and base-board H The knives G are inclined forward towardtheir upper ends, so as to give a slicing cut, and they are fixed to theouter sides of the side boards, H, of the chute, in order that thethickness of their rear ends will afford sufficient clearance to enablethe machine to move easily through the ground. The chute H inclinesupward toward the rear end of the machine and curves to one side at itsrear extremity,and has the plate H on such side broken away, to permitthe dirt to dump to one side of the ditch. The under side of thesolepiece is provided with a groove or block, I, of less width than thesole-piece, and adapted to form a groove in the bottom of the ditch inwhich to rest the tile. This manifestly is a great convenience, as thetile-pipe will lie in said groove, and may be placed rapidly andaccurately in position. This groove may be cast integral with thesolepiece; but I prefer to secure it movably by a screw or otherwise, sothat differentsized grooves may be formed, as desired, for tiles ofdifferent diameter. On the ditcher I pivot at 9', between its ends, thesight-bar J, provided at its opposite ends with points or edges KK',over which the sight may be taken toward a fixed object. The pivotsof this bar J are at right angles to the line of motion, and arepreferably in a carrier, J, which in turn is pivoted to the framing ofthe ditcher at right angles to the pivots j, so as to form auniversaljoint.

To the bar J, I secure a balance-weight, L,

which retains said bar in proper horizontal position. While the points KK may be formed rigidly on the said bar and arranged at any desiredrelative angle, it is preferred to form one of such points fixed and.the other a frame movable vertically in a guide-frame, so it may be setup or down to gage different angles, and it is preferred to provide thesaid frame with several sight-openings, to enable the'sighting of alarge number of angles and ones of greater variance, as will beunderstood. In operation, a sight-object, such as shown in Fig. 5, isfixed on the ground at the point of greatest or least depth of theditch, and the machine is moved toward such object, sight being takenfrom time to time, and the wheels properly setto keep the sightuniforln,and the ditch will be formed at even grade, as will be understood.

While I prefer to use the balance-weight on the sight-bar, it ismanifest it might be dis pensed with,and such bar be suitably balancedby weights on its ends; or the said bar might be provided with aspirit-level and set to a dead-level when desired to sight the fixed objHaving thus described my invention, whatI claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. In a ditching-machine provided at its front end withvertically-adjustable supporting-Wheels, a sight-bar pivoted between itsends on the ditcher and weighted to always occupy a horizontal position,and providcd with a vertically-adjustable sight-piece, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination, in a ditching-machine, of the crank-axle journaledat the front end of the machine, and provided at or near its center witha Worm-wheel, the operating-shaft centrally journaled to and runninglengthwise of'the frame, and provided at its front end with a wormmeshed with the worm on the crank-shaft, and having its other endextended in convenient reach of the operator, and a sight-bar pivotedbetween the ends of the machine in line with and directly over theoperating-shaft, substantially as set forth.

3. In a ditcher, the combination, with the sole-piece, of a grooverremovably secured on the under side of and made of less width than thesaid sole-piece, substantially as set forth.

4:. In adi-cher, the combination ofthe chute, the sole-piece, and theside cutters or blades secured on the front outer edges of the sideplates of the chute, whereby a suitable clearance is provided,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereofI affix thy-signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES L. SENTENEY.

\Vitnesses:

FRED MATTERS, J. K. BREEDEN.

